I Do
by piratewench78
Summary: Season 4 future fic. This starts well past the season finale aftermath. ONE SHOT.


Rayna stood in front of the two dresses that her stylist had sent over. One was a long, cream-colored sleeveless satin dress with a draped neckline. No lace, no beading, just simple and elegant. The other was a short pale yellow cocktail dress with a deep-V neckline that showed off a little cleavage, but not too much, also sleeveless. Both pretty dresses, both appropriate for her age and the occasion, but she wasn't loving either one of them. She frowned a little as she crossed her arms and stood back.

At the soft knock on the door frame, she turned. She caught her breath and smiled, holding her arms out. "You came!" she cried.

"Of course I came," Tandy said as she walked into her sister's arms and hugged her tightly. "I wouldn't miss you getting married."

Rayna leaned back, a teasing look on her face. "Even though I'm marrying Deacon Claybourne?" she asked.

Tandy rolled her eyes. "Even though you're marrying Deacon Claybourne." She stepped out of her sister's embrace and walked over to the two dresses. "Are these what you're thinking about?" Rayna nodded. Tandy made a face. "They look so you, but not for this. You know that, right?"

Rayna nodded again. "I do. They're perfectly lovely dresses, but I think Deacon might start laughing if he saw me in one of these. And that would just not do."

"So what are you thinking?"

Rayna shrugged. "I don't know. I need to figure it out though. I only have a couple days to decide."

Tandy looked around. "So where is he? And the girls?"

Rayna took her sister's arm and they walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. "He's staying at his house for a few days." She smiled. "He told me that it was the tradition and he didn't want to screw things up now." She leaned into Tandy's shoulder for a moment. "And the girls are with him this afternoon."

Tandy looked at her seriously. "How are they doing?"

Rayna picked up the tea kettle and filled it with water, then set it on a burner and turned it on. She went to the cabinet and got two mugs out and then added tea bags, before she looked up. "They're okay. It's all been quite a lot for them to deal with, you know? For all of us, really." She leaned on the counter while she waited for the water to boil. "Daphne's taken it all the hardest, I think. She's so confused about things with Teddy." She took a deep breath. "He won't let her come to the jail. I get that and in some ways I agree with it. I don't really want her to see him like that. But she misses him and she's hurting." She smiled sadly. "Deacon's been so good with her and she's really needed that."

Tandy nodded. She watched Rayna take the tea kettle off the stove and pour water in the mugs, taking the one her sister handed to her. "And how's Deacon?"

Rayna smiled. "His recovery has been remarkably good. Dr. Rand was surprised, I think, at how well he did. The scar looks terrible. I didn't realize how large it would be. But it's healed really well and he's writing and playing again. He did a show at the Bluebird last week, his first one since the surgery, and he was tired afterwards, but I could tell it did him a world of good to do it."

"What about his sister?"

Rayna shrugged and looked away. "She's in a nursing home kind of place. She doesn't seem to be in pain. Deacon and Scarlett visit her a lot. Maddie goes sometimes. But she really didn't know Beverly, so…."

"How is Deacon holding up with it?"

Rayna sighed. "He has good days and bad days. I know he feels guilty about the fact that this all happened because she gave him part of her liver." She made a face. "Well, it's really not because of _that_. She had post-surgical complications that had nothing to do with the particular surgery, just surgery itself. But it doesn't change the fact that he feels bad about it."

Tandy nodded and took a sip of her tea. Then she set down her mug and breathed in. "I was afraid he'd blame you somehow."

Rayna ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes were sad as she looked at Tandy. "I was afraid he would too. But he didn't. You know, they had such a complicated relationship. And, truthfully, they weren't on the best of terms for a lot of years. There was a lot of bad blood there, a lot of hurt. It helped that she was willing to do this for him, but it didn't mean that all went away." She stood up straight. "You know, he told me that if it had been reversed, and he was the one to have to give her a liver and this happened to him, he wouldn't want anyone to feel guilty about that. That things happen, not always good things, so he was trying to remember that. I don't think it's been easy all the time, but he's trying not to wallow in it."

Tandy smiled. "Well, that's good, right? The old Deacon might not have been that introspective about it."

"That's true." She looked at Tandy and gave her a small smile. "I think he and Scarlett both are sorta hoping a miracle happens and that she wakes up and is fine. It gives them something to focus on that's not so negative."

Tandy nodded and sipped her tea thoughtfully. "So you're not having this wedding at the country club," she said, a sly smile on her face.

Rayna rolled her eyes and smiled. "Absolutely not. First of all, just no. So not Deacon and me. But certainly not at the same place I married Teddy."

"I'm actually kind of surprised you're not doing this at your little place out in the boondocks."

Rayna laughed. "You mean, the cabin? We thought about it, but that's kind of a private place and we decided we didn't really want to have people come there. We didn't invite a lot of people, but more than that place would have comfortably held. The Loveless Barn is perfect." She grinned at her sister. "Kind of a Hee Haw wedding."

Tandy widened her eyes in surprise. "No," she said.

Rayna laughed merrily. "Of course not. I might not be part of the country club crowd, but I want it to be nice."

Tandy smiled. "I'm so glad to see you so happy, sweetheart. I really am. Even if it is with Deacon." She winked.

Rayna walked around the island and hugged her sister. "I'm so glad you're here. It just wouldn't have been the same if you hadn't come."

* * *

Deacon looked up at the knock on the door. He wasn't expecting anyone and Scarlett wasn't home. He'd been working on a song and he put down the notebook, getting up to answer the door. He was surprised to see Tandy standing there.

After a moment, she said, "So can I come in or are you going to make me stand out here?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, and stepped back to let her in. "Come in." She walked in and looked around, then turned back to look at him. "What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning slightly.

She narrowed her eyes just a little. "When did you start wearing glasses?" she asked.

He reached up and took them off, smiling a little sheepishly. "You know, when you get older, sometimes you need 'em for close up stuff. Or reading," he said.

She gave him a little smile and nodded. "I guess I'm not that old yet," she said.

He smiled. "So. What are you doing here?" he repeated. "Rayna's not here."

"I know. I came to see you."

"Me? Why?" He and Tandy had never been on really good terms and it had really taken him aback to find her on his doorstep.

She walked over to the couch and sat and he followed suit. "Well, it seems this wedding is really going to happen, so I thought maybe we should, I don't know, clear the air? Bury the hatchet?"

He laid his glasses on the coffee table and smirked. "There's a hatchet?"

She rolled her eyes. "Figuratively speaking, of course." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I just thought it might be good for us to sort of figure out a way to get along. Since you're marrying my sister and taking on both my nieces, it just seemed like we should."

Deacon looked at her for a moment. "I'm not sure what to say."

"You could say 'okay'."

He chuckled. "Okay then."

Tandy took a deep breath. "I know my sister loves you. She's always loved you, even when I wished she hadn't. But clearly there's something about you that makes her happy. She's happier now than I've ever seen her and that makes _me_ happy. Even if you're the one responsible." She looked at him seriously. "But you've put her through a ton of heartache in the past, Deacon, and I don't want that to happen to her again. I know you think she's strong – and she tries to be, for everyone in her life – but she needs someone to take care of her too."

Deacon looked at her, his eyes filled with emotion, working his lip. "I wanna take care of her, Tandy. It's all I ever wanted to do. I know I didn't do a good job of that before, but I will do that now. And Maddie. And Daphne. You can count on that."

Tandy pointed her finger at him. "I'm going to hold you to that. You can count on _that_." She hesitated a moment. "I'm glad you survived, Deacon. For her sake. For the girls' sake."

He swallowed hard. He would never have expected her to say that. "Thanks," he said.

She stood up. "I need to go." She walked over to the door, as he followed, then turned back to him. "This is your chance, Deacon. Don't ever take it for granted."

He watched her walk out the door, still a little stunned she'd shown up at his house. He closed the door and walked over to the kitchen table, where he'd left his phone. He picked it up and called Rayna.

"Hey, babe," she said when she answered, sounding happy to hear from him.

He smiled. "Hey. So guess who showed up at my house just now?"

She paused a moment. "I have no idea. One of your old girlfriends?"

"Ha. No. Your sister."

That took her aback. "Tandy?"

"Do you have any other sister?"

Rayna smirked on her end. "Shut up. But seriously. Tandy came to see you? Why?"

He laughed. "To bury the hatchet, she said. And not in my back, for once."

"Wow. I have to say that surprises me. But I'm glad."

"Did you know she was coming to town?"

"Not until she got here. I was hoping she would come, for me, but I wasn't sure." She paused. "I'm really happy she did that, babe. It means a lot to me."

"I know." He cleared his throat. "So we still have a couple days before the wedding. Think I could get you to come over and keep me company tonight? Since Tandy's here and all."

Rayna laughed. "I thought there was all this tradition…."

"Screw tradition. I miss you, Ray. I need to see you."

Rayna smiled on her end. "I miss you too, babe. So I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Deacon took a deep breath and let it out, running his hand up and down Rayna's bare arm. She had her head on his shoulder and moved it slightly to look up at him. "What's wrong, babe?" she asked, a tiny frown on her face.

He turned to look at her and shook his head. "Nothing. I guess I was just thinking maybe I was wrong to come stay here. Not be with you." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

She smiled back at him. "I think this is actually kind of sweet. Pretending we believe in all those traditions and stuff."

He laughed, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, we're pretending, are we?"

She grinned. "Aren't we? I mean, you've been here for two days and you were already begging me to come over."

"I didn't beg. I asked. You said yes."

Rayna chuckled. "I guess I did, didn't I?" She turned towards him, draping her leg over his. "I just got used to you being with me, you know? Our bed's been very lonely without you in it."

He smiled, rolling onto his back, looking up to the ceiling. "Hard to believe this is actually gonna happen, you know? Finally."

She put her hand on his chest, running her finger over the scar on his abdomen, still pronounced, but fully healed and beginning to fade just a bit. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I made you wait a long time."

He turned his head to look at her. "It's all good, Ray. I know I didn't make it easy, all those years."

She was quiet for a bit. Then she looked up at him. "Now we have the rest of our lives."

He nodded. "That we do." He rolled over on top of her, kissing her hard. "And I, for one, am not gonna let you go again."

* * *

Rayna was sitting in front of the vanity mirror with her eyes closed, as her stylists worked on her hair and makeup. "Mom," came Maddie's voice, a little on the whiny side.

"What, sweetie?" she asked.

"Aren't you ready yet?"

Her makeup stylist whispered in her ear that she was done and Rayna opened her eyes to see her oldest daughter standing behind her. She was wearing one of those long, bohemian-like dresses that were so popular these days, her hair pulled into a side ponytail with tendrils floating around her face. Rayna thought she looked beautiful. She smiled. "Almost." She reached out with her hand and Maddie walked up to stand beside her, taking her hand. "You look beautiful, Maddie," she said.

Maddie blushed. "Thanks." She squeezed Rayna's hand. "We need to leave in ten minutes and you're not even dressed."

Rayna sighed. "I know. But Deacon knows I'm always late."

Maddie rolled her eyes. "You can't be late to this, Mom. It's your wedding!"

Rayna smiled, lifting Maddie's hand to her lips and kissing her softly. "Are you happy, sweet girl? Is this all you ever wanted?" she asked.

Maddie grinned. "It is. But I'm happy for you and Dad. 'Cause I know this is what you two wanted."

Rayna felt herself get a little teary as she nodded, blinking back the tears so she didn't ruin her makeup. "It is. It surely is."

"Ms. Jaymes, I'm done with your hair," the hair stylist said. "But you need to put on your dress so I can make any last minute adjustments."

Rayna looked at her. "Thanks." She hopped off the chair and walked into the closet, Maddie trailing behind her. They stopped in front of the rack where the dress was hanging. She'd ended up getting a sheath dress with cap sleeves, a simple number in a very light blue that enhanced her eyes. It wasn't too dressy and it was comfortable.

She took off her robe and took the dress off the hanger, stepping into it to minimize any damage to her hair, then stepping into her shoes. Maddie zipped her up and then watched as her mother walked over to her jewelry and put in some diamond stud earrings and a simple diamond pendant. She stood in front of the mirror as the hair stylist made practically invisible tweaks to her hair, then smiled at Maddie. "You look beautiful, Mom," Maddie said, dreamily.

"Thanks, sweetie," she said, then turned and drew Maddie into a warm hug. Then she stepped back, putting her hands on Maddie's arms. "I think we're ready. Let's go."

She put her arm around Maddie's shoulders and they walked out to the den, where Daphne and Tandy were waiting. "Mom, you look amazing!" Daphne cried, jumping up and running to hug Rayna.

"Thanks, baby," she said, hugging her back. "You do too." She nodded at Tandy. "So do you."

Tandy waved her off. "All that matters is that _you_ look beautiful." She smiled. "And you do. Are you ready?"

Rayna nodded and smiled. "I am. I think we need to hurry or Deacon will think we stood him up."

* * *

The ceremony was on the small porch at the Loveless Barn. There were less than thirty guests, just those they were closest too. They'd planned it for a weekday afternoon and the staff and guests had been sworn to secrecy, so it was as private as they could make it.

When Maddie and Daphne had walked her up to Deacon, Rayna felt her heart skip a beat. He looked as handsome as he had the day she'd first met him, all those years ago. As he watched her approach him, he thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. She still took his breath away.

She took his hands and then leaned towards him, with a smile. "You're looking pretty handsome," she whispered, squeezing his hands.

He held her hands tightly and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "You're looking pretty gorgeous," he whispered back. "You ready to do this?"

She nodded. "Never been more ready in my life," she said.

The vows they said to each other that day were the same ones they'd said to each other in the hospital room, just before Deacon had gone into surgery. He had acknowledged her wisdom in turning down a hurried hospital wedding, instead wanting to wait for this special day with the people that they loved standing with them. She had breathed a little sigh of relief that day, when Dr. Rand had told her Deacon had come through the surgery beautifully, glad that they'd have this opportunity to have the wedding they'd always wanted.

The ring he put on her finger was the same ring he'd given her at the cabin all those years ago, the ring he'd given her the night Luke Wheeler had proposed. The one she put on his finger was engraved with entwined vines, to signify that they were always connected.

When they were pronounced married, she had looked up into that face she'd loved for so long, and taken it in her hands. He leaned down to her and kissed her, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. When he pulled his lips from hers, he smiled and then they both laughed happily, turning to face their cheering loved ones.

 _ **Will I promise to be your best friend / And am I here until the end / Can I be sure I have been waiting for you / And did I say my love is true / Baby I will, I am, I can, I have, I do (from the song 'I Do', by Paul Brandt)**_


End file.
